Helicobacter pylori

What is Helicobacter pylori?

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is a type of bacteria that can infect the lining of the stomach and the duodenum (the first part of the small intestine).

Around 40% of people in the UK have H. pylori in their stomach. For most, it causes no problems at all and doesn’t require treatment. Only around 1 in 10 people with H. pylori will experience symptoms or complications.

What symptoms can it cause?

Most people with H. pylori won’t have any symptoms and therefore don’t need any treatment.

Common symptoms may include:

  • Ongoing indigestion that doesn’t improve with usual medications
  • Nausea
  • Bloating

Less common or more serious symptoms include:

  • Stomach or duodenal ulcers
  • Unintentional weight loss
  • Vomiting blood
  • Melaena (black, sticky stool)

What causes H. pylori?

We don’t fully understand how H. pylori spreads, but it’s thought to be passed from person to person—usually during childhood through close contact with family members.

It can spread through:

  • Saliva (spit)
  • Vomit
  • Poo (faeces)

H. pylori is becoming less common in the UK, and if you have it, you're unlikely to pass it on to others.

How is it diagnosed?

Testing is only recommended if you have symptoms. Treating people without symptoms does not improve their health.

Common tests include:

  • Urea breath test: You’ll drink a liquid that contains urea, then provide a breath sample. If H. pylori is present, it breaks down the urea and this can be detected in your breath. The test is accurate, safe and quick to perform.
  • Stool (poo) antigen test: A small sample of your stool is tested for traces of the bacteria.
  • Blood test: This can show if you’ve ever had H. pylori, but it can’t tell us if the infection is current or from the past. It’s not used as often now due to high false positive rates.
  • Endoscopy (in some cases): A thin, flexible camera is passed through your mouth to examine your stomach lining. A small biopsy (sample of tissue) may be taken and tested for H. pylori.

How is it treated?

H. pylori is usually treated with a one-week course of what’s called triple therapy, which involves:

  • Two different antibiotics
  • One acid-lowering medicine (such as a proton pump inhibitor)

It’s very important to take all the medicines exactly as prescribed and complete the full course. If taken correctly, treatment clears the infection in over 90% of people.

Common side effects include:

  • Nausea
  • Indigestion
  • Diarrhoea
  • Headaches

Follow-up care

  • If your symptoms go away after treatment, no further tests are usually needed.
  • If your symptoms return, your doctor may recommend a test to confirm that H. pylori has been cleared.
  • If you had an ulcer, a repeat test is usually done 6 to 8 weeks after treatment, and sometimes a follow-up endoscopy may be advised.

Once successfully treated, the chance of being reinfected is very low.

Contact information

Endoscopy Unit
West Middlesex University Hospital
Twickenham Road
Isleworth
Middlesex
TW7 6AF

Mon–Fri, 8am – 6pm

T: 020 8321 2585 / 5191 (Nursing Station)
T: 020 8321 5752 / 6420 (Endoscopy Department)

The Endoscopy Unit is located on the ground floor of the Main Building, East Wing

Further information

If you have questions after reading this leaflet, please speak to your doctor, nurse or GP.

Contributors
Dr Moe Kyaw